The Weight of Old Tension
You are a person living in time. You have emotions, memories, dreams, and fears. These shape how you perceive reality—and how you respond to it. The more control you have over yourself, the more intentional your actions become.
This is crucial if you want any real say in your future. Without self-awareness and control, you’ll be pulled by the demands of others and pushed around by life’s forces. To break free, you must master what you can—and understand the consequences when you don’t.
Old Tension: The Patterns We Carry
As we move through life, experiences trigger emotional responses. These emotions don’t just pass through us—they leave imprints in our posture, breathing, and nervous system. If intense enough, they stick with us long after the moment has passed.
Example: Stress at Work
Imagine you went through a stressful period at work—long hours, tight deadlines. During that time, you hunched over your computer, tensed your shoulders, and held your breath. Now, months later, that period is over—but you still carry the habit. Your shoulders stay tight. Your posture remains slouched. You might not even notice until someone points it out or you experience pain.
This is old tension—a response no longer needed, yet still ingrained.
The Cost of Holding On
If you repeatedly do something harmful, even with the best willpower, it becomes second nature. There’s a great quote that applies here:
"Temptation is a test of your character. If you give in, it carves a groove in your character, making it even easier to give in the next time."—Orrin Woodward
While this speaks about temptation, the same principle applies to any repeated pattern. Every time you reinforce a posture, a breathing pattern, or a stress response, you deepen that groove. Over time, it becomes automatic.
Why does this matter? Because if you experience any kind of limitation—physical, mental, or emotional—you must look at your habits.
The Science Behind Posture and Emotion
Research confirms the link between posture and perception of emotions. Here are a few key studies:
Riskind & Gotay (1982):
Finding: Slumped postures led to more negative self-evaluations compared to upright postures.
Implication: Posture directly influences mood and self-perception.
Niedenthal (2007):
Finding: Mimicking emotional expressions (including posture) can activate corresponding emotional states.
Implication: How we hold our body shapes how we feel.
Brinol, Petty, & Wagner (2009):
Finding: People who sat upright had more confidence in their thoughts—whether positive or negative.
Implication: Posture affects cognitive processes and self-belief.
These studies make one thing clear: how you hold yourself physically influences how you feel and think.
Breaking Free: Releasing Old Tension
Now that you know the impact of old tension, how do you release it?
Morning Myofascial Releases – First thing in the morning, or as soon as you can, pause and notice your posture. Are your shoulders tense? Is your breath shallow? Use this information and get the MFR ball, foam roller, or theracane and DIG IN!
Conscious Breathing – Shallow breathing keeps the body in a stress response. Take slow, deep breaths through your nose, expanding your diaphragm fully. This signals safety to your nervous system.
Postural Reset – Throughout the day, stand tall, raise your shoulder and make your back broad, and engage your core. If you sit often, take time to stand up and counteract the effects of slouching by doing some chamber sequences.
Move With Intention – How you walk, sit, and stand matters. Train movement patterns that involve spiral motions. Small daily adjustments can completely change how you feel.
Mindset Shift – Recognize that tension isn’t just physical—it’s tied to your emotional and mental state. Let go of past stressors, knowing they no longer serve you.
The Benefits of Letting Go
When you release old tension, you create space for something new:
More energy & resilience – Tension drains you. Letting go restores your vitality.
Increased clarity – Without chronic stress patterns, your mind becomes sharper.
Authenticity – You move and express yourself more freely, without unnecessary restriction.
Better performance – Whether in sports, work, or daily life, a relaxed body moves with efficiency and ease.
A Better Now
As you refine your movement, you also refine your emotional and psychological choices. You stop living on autopilot and start choosing how you engage with the world.
You don’t have to reject all familiar patterns—but if your outcomes don’t satisfy you, recognize that there’s always a better choice to be made.
Take a breath. Adjust your posture. Let go of what no longer serves you.
Your body—and your future—will thank you.